


Confined

by gghero



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 10:57:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4098450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gghero/pseuds/gghero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>College!Archie and Maxie get stuck on an elevator together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Confined

**Author's Note:**

> This was done by me, gghero, for Team Maqua Fest. Enjoy!

Maxie’s first two weeks at college hadn’t gone as he would have desired.

Sure, Slateport’s University had its good things. He got to meet again his long-lost Kalosian friend, Lysandre, and even share a room with him. He got to make a good first impression on his teachers, that would be essential for the following four years.

But there was something bugging Maxie that wouldn’t go away. Someone loud, obnoxious and reckless that shouldn’t even deserve two minutes of his attention and that, nevertheless, wouldn’t get out of his mind, or stop ‘casually’ appearing everywhere he would go just to do what he could do best: be an unbearable, cocky little shit that had nothing better to do than to mess with him.

His name was Archie Aogiri. He was a freshman too, trying to get his Marine Biology major as quickly as possible and set off far away from Dewford, his hometown. The fact that Maxie knew all of this was concerning to say the less, specially because he couldn’t care less about that guy, yet he still seemed to remember those kind of things about him.

And it was starting to drive him mad.

“Just ignore him. He’ll get tired and go away,” said a tall, redheaded boy with Kalosian accent, not taking his eyes off a book - History of Hoenn - as Maxie paced back and forth their room, finishing to pack everything he needed for first period class.

“I’m worried for my mental health if he doesn’t.” Maxie tucked a strand of hair behind his ear as he took his shoulder bag and jacket, ready to set off.

Lysandre laughed faintly, a deep but harmonious laugh that hinted a bit of malice, as he muttered something about his fellow redheaded friend’s mental health with or without Archie. Maxie ticked his tongue, threw one of his bed’s cushion towards his face and said goodbye, closing the dorm door behind him.

“Let’s see… Chemistry, class 110…” he hummed to himself as he made his way towards the dorm building elevator. He grimaced as he passed by Archie’s dorm, but nearly let out an evil chuckle as he heard a loud snore came out of it. Oh, so he had fallen asleep and would miss his first period? Too bad, if only anyone had noticed he was inside and awoken him… Too bad 'nobody’ had, thought Maxie as he walked towards the metal door at the end of the corridor which…

Was halfway closed.

“Wait, hold on!” he yelled, sprinting towards the elevator in hopes that whoever was inside had heard him. He managed to see a dark-skinned hand stop the door just as it was about to close and his heart sunk to his stomach.

“Y-you…”

Archie grinned back at him, free hand on his hip, striking such a confident and natural pose Maxie would have sworn he had rehearsed it before.

“Well, well, if it isn’t ’rojito’!”

Maxie frowned at the stupid nickname Archie insisted on giving him. “Good morning to you too, Aogiri,” he replied dryly as he stood there, stiff as a stick. He was above Archie’s childish behaviour, so naturally he wouldn’t hesitate to show him which one was the real adult.

“How come I see ye wherever I go? Are ye, perhaps… followin’ me?” Maxie glared at him, huffing in exasperation. He was about to retort when Archie went on, “Hey, I would gladly stay here chattin’ all day, but I have Chemistry period in ten minutes. Are ye comin’ or not?”

Maxie vacillated for a few seconds. Would taking the stairs or waiting for the next elevator be overreacting too much? If he wanted Archie’s presence to stop bothering him, he would need to get used to have him around. Swallowing, he nodded and stepped in the elevator as the doors closed behind him.

Archie inhaled deeply, drumming his fingers on the wall as Maxie looked absentmindedly at his reflection in the mirror. His red hair was tied in a loose ponytail. Strands of his fringe were covering his face. He sighed, untying the ponytail and tying it again properly.

“Ye know, it would look much better if you just left it untied.”

His heart missed a beat, alarmed by the voice so dangerously close to his ear. He jumped backwards, putting a bit of distance between the other man and him.

“Would it hurt you to mind your own business for a minute?”

Archie scoffed, raising his arms in defense mockingly. “Whoa, someone’s gotten up on the wrong side of the bed.”

“Why do you hate me so much, Aogiri?”

“What? I don’t hate ye, I just-”

But right before he could finish his sentence, the lift came to a sudden halt that made both of them lose balance. Maxie held onto Archie’s arm to avoid falling to the floor.

“W-what was that, dude?” asked Archie, breathing heavily as the lights flickered.

Maxie went red on the ears as he noticed how strongly he was clinging onto Archie’s thick arm muscles. He immediately released his grip on him, mumbling “I- I was going to fall, alright, you just-”

“No, not that. The elevator!”

The little colour that was left on Maxie’s face drained as he pushed frantically the button to open the door. But it was useless. Archie scrambled to the door, banging the metal surface in desperation.

“Stop that! It won’t help.”

There was something definitely wrong with him. He was already sweating, observed Maxie with curiosity. His breathing was irregular, fast. “B-but I can’t stay here for too long, you don’t understand-!”

“Hey, I’m going to miss Chemistry too, and possibly Calculus, but-”

“I have claustrophobia, okay!?”

Archie broke down, a sniveling and trembling mess in the floor, bracing himself as Maxie watched the scene with wide eyes. Whatever cockiness and confidence he had showed minutes before was gone without a trace. The redhead stood still and silent, not knowing what to do.

Archie was definitely not comfortable. But why should he care? A little humble pie would not hurt him, even if it came in the form of a crippling uneasiness in a confined space for some hours. And more importantly, now that Maxie knew his little secret, he had a powerful weapon to make Archie shut up in the future.

That’s why he was surprised to say the least when he found himself taking a seat besides him and reaching out with his hand to touch his arm.

“Come on,” he said dryly, in an attempt to comfort him, “is it really that bad?”

“’s nothin’, leave me alone,” snapped Archie, shying away from him.

“No, it’s not.” Maxie felt like he knew what a bad time he was having. Not only because it was painfully obvious at first sight, but also because the redhead himself experienced something similar at a pool, or the sea, or any water mass that would make him feel small. Not that he would admit it in front of that water-loving brute. “Come here, tell me about it.”

“There’s nothing much to it,” replied Archie abruptly, “but I just can’t stand confined spaces fo’ too long, ever since I was a lil’ scamp.”

“I see…”

Awkward silence.

Maxie looked at his watch. Ten minutes past their Chemistry class’ start. He should get working and call for help before Archie would get worse - no, before they missed more classes. Last time he checked, he wasn’t Archie’s babysitter, he wasn’t doing that for him. The redhead opened his shoulder bag and felt for his MultiNav. He then switched on the device and pressed the 'Call’ button.

What number should he call for? The elevator’s sticker in which the custom service telephone could usually be read had been vandalised to a faint trace of ragged paper.

Calling the principal’s office would be wiser. He dialed the number - which, of course, he knew by heart,- and waited for an answer.

“…llo?” replied a distorted, metallic voice from the other end of the line.

“Hello? Is this the principal’s office? We are two students trapped in the freshmen dorm’s elevator and-”

“…n’t hea… ou…” was everything that could be heard over the noise. Apparently, signal didn’t work perfectly in elevators, but Maxie hoped that it would be enough for the secretary to hear his voice.

“We are stuck in the freshmen’s dorm elevator! Please send help, my… classmate suffers from claustrophobia and I’m not sure how long will he resist entering a panic state-!”

That time, just a weird noise came as a response before the call was over with a 'beep’. Maxie groaned, stuffing his MultiNav back in the bag and covering his face with his hands.

“I’m doing well, if you’re interested,” said Archie with a hint of sarcasm, still breathing with difficulty but managing to grin a bit.

“Congratulations,” said Maxie in the least enthusiastic voice he could, despite feeling a bit of relief. Archie started fanning himself, commenting how hot it was getting inside. He took off his jacket and threw it across the small room.

Maxie observed at Archie, not believing his eyes when he saw that he was just wearing a white tank top underneath. He felt a rush of blood in his cheeks when he noticed how well it suited him, leaving the muscles on his arms out and fitting his torso. Okay, so he was handsome alright. No big deal, to Maxie’s opinion a pretty face meant nothing if underneath lay the shittiest personality. Which was everything he was sure hid beneath Archie’s cocky grins and overall behaviour.

Wasn’t it?

“Y-yer hot too?”

Maxie snapped out of his daze and answered nervously “What? No, I’m okay, you are the one that is hot-” said Maxie, noticing too late his tongue slip and fixing it right after, “’temperaturely’ speaking.”

Archie raised an eyebrow. “’Temperaturely’?”

“It’s an adverb, okay?”

Archie shrugged his shoulders and then moved on to openly criticize people who used such an elevated language that one didn’t know if they were saying an actual word or just messing with the interlocutor, but Maxie was too busy trying not to look at Archie as he spoke, because he felt his eyes would pop out of his head if he did.

Yes, it was better if he just listened him talk. Arceus, what a thick accent he had. He rolled his 'r’s a lot, that was the most noticeable trait, but as he went on he could also discover the excessive amount of pirate jargon thrown in it. Was he really that cheesy to actually talk like that all the time? Maxie would bet his bottom pokédollar he was.

“Dude, are you listening?” Maxie’s mind returned back to reality as Archie snapped his fingers in front of his face.

“Uh, sorry, I turned off a while ago. You were saying?”

“You know, if we’re actually gonna have to spend a while here,” he shuddered, frotting his arms again as he huddled next to Maxie, “I don’t wanna stay silent as if we didn’t know each other. A bit o’ chattin’ makes this easier for me, ‘rojito’.”

Maxie scoffed, astounded at the nerve he had for being on the verge of an anxiety attack.

“Okay, first of all, we don’t know each other,” Maxie said as he put a bit of distance between the both of them. “Secondly, my name is not 'rojito’ or 'dude’ or any of that nonsense.”

“Maximillian Matsubusa, was it?”

The redhead didn’t say anything. Maximillian was his full name, but nobody called him that. He guessed it was difficult to pronounce in a majoritarily japanese-speaking, so he’d stuck with 'Maxie’ ever since he could remember.

“Maxie,” he finally replied. After all, if he was really that keen on making his life impossible, he might as well begin with the right name.

“Maxie, then.”

They stood in silence for a while, just peeking around the cubiculum before Archie started feeling uneasy again. He clutched his chest, but started speaking right after.

“I’m sorry, it’s just- it’s like the walls could start closin’ together at any time and- and I feel like I can’t breath.”

“You really can’t stand still for two minutes, can you.” It was not a question. Maxie looked at his watch. Okay, maybe they had spent more than two minutes together, he thought as the minute hand approached towards number four - conveniently labeled '20’ as well.

“Nope. I’ve always lived by the sea in Dewford, y'know? I can’t last for too long without feeling the fresh breeze in my face.”

Archie closed his eyes, as if he could experience it if he tried hard enough. For a while. Maxie allowed himself to look at his smiling face, the first time he had seen him genuinely smile since he had met the guy - He even felt the need to mimic the gesture, but he quickly suppressed it as soon as the other opened his eyes.

“And ye? Ye don’t seem to be from around here, am I wrong?”

“Mhm… No, I’m from Lavaridge,” he replied absentmindedly. “And yes, before you ask, I kinda… miss home too. A bit.”

“Really? What can you possibly be good about that little village lost in the middle of the mountains?”

“What can possibly be good about that little village by the sea?”

Archie laughed, shifting a bit and rubbing the back of his neck as he explained the wonders of Dewford. Maxie looked at him, worry disappearing as he watched him go on and on. It looked as if he was doing fairly well. Did he care? Well, it was definitely better than dealing with a squealing, sobbing mess of a grown-up man.

“Aogiri…” said Maxie a few minutes later before the other boy interrupted him.

“Archie, if ye don’t mind.”

Maxie rose an eyebrow and asked “Archibald?” The taller boy shook his head, grinning awkwardly as he watched Maxie wrinkle his nose. “Then what’s your full name?”

Archie whistled playful, then said nonchalantly, “I don’t know if I can trust ye with that vital info yet.”

“Excuse me?” Maxie scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You have been stalking me for weeks now, and it’s you who can’t trust me?”

Archie nodded quietly, ogling quickly across the room.

“No, don’t do that. Don’t focus on the room, focus on something else.”

“Like you?”

Maxie swallowed, feeling his heart jump as Archie locked his blue eyes on Maxie’s. Damn, how could someone be that smooth while having a mild panic attack? “If-if that works…” He bit his tongue when he noticed how badly he was stuttering. He’d never been one to appreciate social interaction that much, at least with people so… different from him. But there was definitely something almost hypnotic in those blue eyes. Magnetic. Anyone would feel uneasy in that situation.

Maxie himself was amazed at how easily - barely an hour had passed - that annoying, loud and reckless boy had become… well, less of an irritating stranger, more of a mildly-irritating acquaintance.

“You know? This is actually not that bad.”

“Ye think so now? It’s not even been an hour since ye were almost pulling at yer hair at the idea of being trapped with me.”

“I… think I have misunderestimated you.” Archie scratched his stubbled chin, averting his eyes awkwardly. “I thought you were just an airheaded brat - because don’t get me wrong, but your way of approaching people isn’t the most appropriate one - but actually-”

“I’m everything ye’ve said, Maxie,” Archie’s visage darkened as he muttered those words between teeth. Maxie frowned, staring at his concerned-looking classmate.

“What are you talking about?”

“I said I’m everything ye’ve said, okay!?” Archie shouted, making Maxie flinch a bit as he pounded the floor hard. “Look, you were just a joke between my friends and I. Ever since we… met.” 'Met’ was an understatement, especially since their first encounter had ended with both of them on the floor, papers and books scattered everywhere, a bleeding nose and at least a dozen of students looking at the result of the accidental clash. “They thought it would be funny if I just kept harassing you. They liked watching that… collected and pompous redhead lose it.

Maxie was silent. It felt as though his blood had been replaced by ice. So… that was all?

"At first I was too like them. I didn’t expect that I would… uh… get to like ye, ye know? And I wanted to actually say somethin’ to ye. I don’t know, start again.”

The ice turned into hot magma. He clenched his fist and thinned his lips, not sure if he wanted to hear anything else.

“But now this damn lift goes and decides to lock us in, and I feel horrible because not only I’m uncomfortable as hell in here, but also because ye… ye helped me even though I’ve only been messin’ with ya-”

“Stop it. Now.”

Archie almost bit his tongue, his eyes darting from corner to corner, wondering how bad would it be if he just started punching the door until it opened or his knuckles were sore. He felt overwhelmed, being trapped was becoming more of a nightmare now that he had screwed up what an hour of little talks had achieved. And the fact that Maxie’s face had softened a bit did little to help him, for he went from looking about to explode to looking… disappointed.

“I didn’t need to hear this pathetic self-pity bullshit.”

“I did.”

Maxie swallowed, his throat dry as he watched the other man bury his face in his knees. He was truly afflicted, Maxie could tell. And truth was that the redhead wasn’t actually that mad at him. He also felt kind of bad for him. Sure, Maxie could be too quick to judge people from the first impression, and because his opinion of him had been awful since the start… Well, like he said, he had shut himself away, as always when he couldn’t connect with someone at first sight.

And he had only been half-right about it.

“To be honest,” he spoke, staring at the ceiling and causing Archie to flinch a bit, “I didn’t care at all about you when I first met you. I mean, having you around sure it was irritating, excruciating, a complete pain in the… back.”

“Maxie…”

“I’m giving you a second opportunity. And not because it would be awkward if we don’t get soon out of here and we just stay silent for the rest of the time-”

Archie giggled shakily a bit. “I would last two minutes like that before punching that fuckin’ door open.”

Maxie didn’t say anything, but rather looked at him… sweetly? He had to admit it, he was cute when he smiled so shyly. When he noticed Archie looking back at him with a weirded-out look on his face, he cleared his throat and stood up, putting his hands to his hips.

“I have to say I’m impressed. Never I have seen someone so stubborn and one-track minded as you, Archie Aogiri.” Archie smirked as he winked an eye at him and watched how Maxie’s face went from white to red, not able to hide an amused, yet nervous smile. “Remind me to never get in your way.”


End file.
